Not Just Another Thursday NIght: Kermit Ruffins and Vaughan’s Lounge

I had the good fortune to be contacted by Jay Mazza, author of the recently published Not Just Another Thursday Night: Kermit Ruffins and Vaughan’s Lounge because of its relevance to the show, and I’m glad to have had the opportunity to read it. Not so much a work of deep scholarship, it’s rather an evocative snapshot of a place and time that many music fans will not have any clue about. But by focusing on Kermit’s epic jams at a little 9th Ward hole in the wall, Mazza also takes a look at the wild characters and the political context surrounding New Orleans’ live music scene.

Mazza, the former editor of “Beat Street” magazine and longtime music critic for the Louisiana Weekly, actually visited Vaughan’s over 350 times and took copious notes about who played what, who sat in, and what sets blew the top off of any preconceived expectations. Interviews with the main players, including Kermit, filled in the picture of who said what when, recognizing when certain events are remembered slightly differently by those involved!

One of the main threads through the book is the idea that the community that Kermit created at Vaughan’s, in which a musician could jump in and play or a singer take their turn at the mike and have the opportunity to develop their chops in the most unique and respected band camp model out there. Kermit, with his easy way about him and infectious joy for music, created the perfect conditions for welcoming seasoned pros and genius newbies alike. Unfortunately, given the continued political machinations to implement and enforce zoning and noise ordinances in New Orleans, it may be a way of life that’s on its way out. In fact, recently on Facebook, Glen David Andrews posted a call to find a spot for a late night jam for pro musicians to get together after their respective paid gigs. Hope he finds something.Music writing is a tricky thing to begin with because it tries to describe the indescribable and capture ephemeral moments. However, Mazza is clearly a fan writing for fans, and it’s that fervor bordering on zealotry that pushes the book forward. If you’ve been there on Thursday night, you’ll recognize what he’s conveying, and if you haven’t, you’ll wish you had. Fans of the show Treme will get a kick out of the fact that the Kermit/Elvis Costello bit was actually about Mick Jagger, who visited Vaughan’s to hear Kermit. Just as the dancers had to squeeze in right on top of the bands at Vaughan’s, Mazza squeezes the reader in right on top of the action, the sound, and the mood. For those of us who couldn’t be there, thankfully, Jay Mazza was.